TUCSON — Melvin Mora began his career as a center fielder, made his mark in the big leagues at third base, and now finds himself a utility infielder with the Rockies.

Did I say utility infielder? Make it utility player. By season’s end, Mora could play every position on the diamond except first base, catcher and pitcher.

Unless, of course, the Rockies find themselves on the wrong end of a blowout loss. Then Mora is ready, wink-wink, for an inning or two on the mound.

“I’ve got a good breaking ball,” he said.

Mora brought five gloves to spring training and has already used two in Cactus League games. He has played once at third base and once in left field, and is in the lineup again at third for the Rockies’ split-squad game vs. the Diamondbacks today at Hi Corbett Field.

Mora, a two-time all-star third baseman with the Orioles, is hitting fifth in the lineup. Here’s a look at the entire lineup, hot off the presses, so to speak. Or at least straight from Jim Tracy’s office:

Seth Smith is congratulated by teammate Ryan Spilborghs after hitting a three-run homer in the fifth inning of the Rockies' Cactus League opener on Thursday. (AP)

TUCSON — Has anyone ever hit for the cycle in the first spring game? Does anyone care? Seth Smith seemed more amused than anything when asked jokingly if he argued to stay in the lineup after hitting a single, double and three-run home run in his first three at-bats against the Diamondbacks at Tucson Electric Park.

“Jay Payton said he will pick me up. It will be a cycle by committee,” said Smith.

The Rockies bludgeoned the sloppy Diamondbacks 11-1 behind 16 hits. Smith’s three-run blast off right-hander Rodrigo Lopez shoved the Rockies ahead 7-1 after five innings before an announced crowd of 5,730.

“We’ve already seen enough of Seth Smith. The way he hit us last year and then the way he’s starting out this year, he can take Sunday off for all I care,” Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch.

Smith said he began feeling good in batting practice yesterday.

“But this isn’t a big deal. You can write a story about it, but I just want to build on this and go home and play with my (11-month-old) daughter,” said Smith, who hit 15 home runs last season and is pushing for a bigger role this year.

The Rockies’ first two pitchers were effective. Jason Hammel allowed one run on 23 pitches in two innings. He threw only fastballs in the first inning, while mixing it a slider and changeup in his second inning. He’s scheduled to throw again Monday. Unlike last spring when his delivery was a mess, Jorge De La Rosa looked every bit like the pitcher he was from June 1 last season. He pitched two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and a walk.

Manuel Corpas struggled with his control, but escaped a jam with a double play.

“We did some things very well. We pounded the strike zone, we ran the bases well, we had a different approach at times with two strikes. Those are things we have been working on,” manager Jim Tracy said. “They are important.”

TUCSON — Looking a bit weaker and tired, Dexter Fowler returned to Hi Corbett Field today after missing two days with flu-like symptoms. Fowler actually came to the ballpark Tuesday but was sent home to rest. He’s likely not going to practice today either, though he could take part in some light activities.

“It was awful. I was up at the 4 in the morning getting sick. I could hardly eat anything,” Fowler said.

Not surprisingly, he’s not on the Rockies’ travel roster for Thursday’s Cactus League opener at the Diamondbacks. That game will be started by Jason Hammel. And here’s a look at who will head over to Tucson Electric Park, noting that Troy Tulowitzki and Todd Helton are not on the squad. Tulowitzki expects to play Friday in one of the split-squad games in Phoenix.

Before heading off to their annual golf tournament, the Rockies will hold a light practice and the rag ball finals. That’s the game where the coaches hit smashes at the pitcher with a rubber ball. Pitchers receive points for every ball they catch clean. Among the finalists are Huston Street, Andrew Johnston and Franklin Morales.

DENVER — As promised, the Rockies’ spring training schedule courtesy of the team’s PR staff. Here is the release with the schedule:

The Colorado Rockies today announced their 31-game 2010 Cactus League schedule, which features 15 home dates for the club in Tucson, Arizona. The final two games of the schedule will played in Albuquerque, New Mexico against the Seattle Mariners. This schedule is subject to change, as the team may add or remove games from the spring slate.

The spring schedule will begin on Thursday, March 4 with a road game at Tucson Electric Park against the Diamondbacks. Following the opener, the club will play split squad affairs at Scottsdale versus the Giants and at Tempe versus the Angels on Friday, March 5. The first home game, which will take place at Hi Corbett Field versus the Milwaukee Brewers, is slated for Saturday, March 6. Six of the first eight games are scheduled to take place at visiting venues; however, the club will remain in Tucson for two of those away games (Thursday, March 4 and Sunday, March 7 at Tucson Electric Park vs. the Diamondbacks). The Rockies’ lone off day will be Wednesday, March 24.

Colorado’s spring schedule includes 15 games at Hi Corbett Field, the Spring Training home of the Rockies. The Rockies, who have trained in Tucson since 1993, will hold their 18th Spring Training at the historic facility. Highlights for the home schedule include a Monday, March 15 game vs. the Chicago Cubs and a Thursday, March 25 game vs. the Cincinnati Reds. Cincinnati will make its first visit to Hi Corbett Field as a member of the Cactus League, as the Reds have trained in Florida since 1946.

Every Cactus League team will visit Hi Corbett Field at least once. Overall the club will face each team at least once at home and once on the road. The only exception to that has the Rockies visiting Tucson Electric Park twice.

The Rockies will send split squads to road games on four occasions, including Sunday, March 14, when the club will face the Diamondbacks in Hermosillo, Mexico. It will mark Colorado’s first Spring Training game in Mexico since matching up against the Padres in the city of Culiacan in 2001. On Saturday, March 13, the Milwaukee Brewers will send a split squad to play against the Rockies at Hi Corbett Field.

The final two exhibition games will take place in Albuquerque, New Mexico against the Seattle Mariners. Those games will be played at Isotopes Park, home of the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, on Friday, April 2 at 5:05 p.m. and Saturday, April 3 at 12:05 p.m. Information for fans wishing to purchasing tickets for the two games at Isotopes Park is available by calling the Isotopes office at (505) 924-2255. The Rockies also played their final exhibition game of the spring in Albuquerque in 2005 against the Texas Rangers. For the second consecutive season Colorado and Seattle will conclude their Spring Training schedules against each other, however, last year’s matchup took place in Las Vegas.

All home spring games at Hi Corbett Field will begin at 1:10 p.m. local time. Away games will start at 1:05 p.m. local time unless otherwise noted. Spring Training tickets will go on sale Saturday, January 9 at 9 a.m. Tickets can be purchased at the Hi Corbett Field Ticket Office, the Coors Field Ticket Office, all Dugout Store locations, all King Soopers locations, online at coloradorockies.com or by phone, by calling 1-800-388-ROCK. To purchase tickets by mail, please call (303) ROCKIES to request a mail order form. Service charges apply at the Dugout Stores, King Soopers, online, over the phone and by mail. For additional Rockies Spring Training information please call (303) ROCKIES.

THE ROCKIES’ SCHEDULE
March 4 At Dbacks
March 5 At Giants, At Angels (Split Squad)
March 6 Vs. Brewers (Spring opener)
March 7 At Diamondbacks, vs. Diamondbacks (Split Squad)
March 8 At Padres
March 9 At Dodgers
March 10 Vs. Royals
March 11 Vs. Rangers
March 12 Vs. Giants
March 13 At Brewers
March 14 At Dbacks (Hermosillo, Mexico), Vs. Mariners (Split Squad)
March 15 Vs. Cubs
March 16 At White Sox
March 17 Vs. Indians
March 18 At Mariners
March 19 Vs. Athletics
March 20 Vs. Angels
March 21 At Royals
March 22 At Reds
March 23 Vs. Padres
March 24 OFF DAY
March 25 Vs. Reds
March 26 At Indians
March 27 Vs. White Sox
March 28 At Athletics
March 29 At Rangers
March 30 Vs. Dodgers
March 31 Vs. Diamondbacks
April 1 At Cubs
April 2-3 Vs. Mariners in Albuquerque

Tucson – The Rockies’ grand finale before heading for Sin City takes them across town to Tucson Electric Park to face the Diamondbacks. While Ubaldo Jimenez pitches a minor-league game, Chaz Roe will face the D-Backs.

The Rockies face Arizona six times in the first 14 days of the season. Keep in mind that the Rockies went … gulp … 3-15 against the Diamondbacks last season. They were 1-5 against the D-Backs last April.

The Rockies leave for Las Vegas after today’s game (noon start Tuscon time, 1 p.m. in Denver). They’ll play two exhibition games against the Mariners, then fly back to Phoenix for Monday’s opener against the D-Backs at Chase Field.

At the plate: Center fielder Dexter Fowler celebrated his promotion to the big-league team by clubbing a lead-off double in the first, a triple to deep center in the eighth and a single in the ninth. Watching Fowler speed around the bases is like watching a Porsche cruise the Autobahn. Manager Clint Hurdle said the last Rockie to run the bases with such speed and skill was Larry Walker.

Troy Tulowitzki rapped a double and a single, driving in two. Tulo’s upped his average to .275 as the end of camp nears.

On the mound: Aaron Cook was not sharp in his final tune-up before Monday’s season-opener against the Diamondbacks. Given a limited pitch count, Cook threw just three innings, giving up three runs on seven hits. Billy Butler and Mark Teahen both hit long solo homers off Cook.

Cook, obviously, wasn’t happy with his final Cactus League performance, but he’s thrilled with his overall spring. His mission was to hone secondary pitches to compliment his sinker.

“I felt really confident with my other pitches,” Cook said. “It’s going to give me more weapons when I don’t feel great. I can go out there and mix it up a little bit instead of having to rely on my sinker the whole time.”

The pitch Cook’s most happy with is his slider.

“It’s always been my secondary pitch, but I’ve really worked hard on working on using it more,” he said.

In the field: Ian Stewart is fast becoming the Rockies’ handyman. It’s clear that they are trying to get him on the field any way they can. He started at second base today, deftly turning a double play, then later moved over to third.

Up next: The Rockies travel across town Tucson Electric Park to play the Diamondbacks in their final Cactus League game in Arizona.
Scheduled Rockies starter: Chaz Roe
Scheduled D-Backs starter: Tony Barnette

Not because he’s the Rockies’ No. 1 pitcher and is playing under a $34 million contract.
Rather, it’s because he’s talented enough, confident enough and secure enough in his position to afford experimentation.

For other pitchers trying to make the team – think of Jason Hirsh, whom the Rockies sent down to Triple A Monday – there is no such comfort zone. For them, each spring outing carries enormous weight.

Not so for Cook. While his teammates were playing the Diamondbacks across town at Tucson Electric Park, Cook sweated it out on a back diamond behind Hi Corbett Field, pitching in an intra-squad minor-league game.

He threw 78 pitches over six innings, giving up three runs. When he threw his heavy sinker, as he did in exclusively in the sixth, the over-eager prospects beat the ball into the dirt.

But that’s not what this day was about. Cook spent much of his six innings working on his curve and changeup. The results were mixed. He gave up a triple and a double. In the fifth he gave up an enormous homer to prospect Daniel Mayora. The homer came on a changeup that didn’t change enough.

“I threw a lot of breaking balls and off-speed stuff today,” Cook told me as we walked back to the clubhouse on a perfect spring day. “It’s definitely a luxury to be able to work on this stuff.”

But why mess with success? Cook already has one of the best sinkers in the National League and a very good four-seam fastball to keep hitters honest.

“I’m trying to be a little less predictable,” Cook said.

The fact that he got hit hard a few times was of little concern.

“It’s great because in a situation like this, if a guy crushes it really doesn’t matter,” he said. “I’m just trying to get a feel for my pitches. At the end of the day, we’re all better for it.”

Yes, Cook said, he could experiment in a Cactus League game, only not as freely. He told me that homers hit by the D-Backs in March, in Tucson, could stoke confidence in April, at Chase Field, in Phoenix.

All in all, it was a good day for Cook. He even laid down two very sweet bunts.

Of course, the lasting image was that of Cook coaxing three quick groundball outs in his final inning on the hill. It was almost as if he pushed a button and infielder grounders rolled out.

I asked why Cook he went back to his bread-and-butter to finish off his day.

“Just to let them know I’ve got it,” the redhead said with a big grin.

At the plate: It only took Todd Helton 10 at-bats to surpass last spring’s home run total. After hitting one in 58 at-bats a year ago, Helton swatted his second this spring, a monstrous 430-foot blast into the grassy knoll in left-center field. It sounded like a gun shot coming off the bat.

“I am ready for the season to start, so I guess I am (ahead of schedule),’’ Helton said.

Omar Quintanilla continues to enjoy a strong spring that screams that he will land a roster spot, tripling in the first inning

On the mound: Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin never buckled in his first spring training start. One bad pitch – a hanging changeup that Evan Frey tripled to the left-field corner, scoring two runs – smeared an otherwise strong sinker-ball-heavy effort.

“I don’t worry about where I will start the season. Wherever they put me is fine,’’ said Chacin, when asked about the possibility of beginning the season in Triple-A.

Huston Street extended his scoreless streak to three innings with two spotless innings. Notably, he struck out two hitters. He had only one K this spring entering the game.

Pitching in a minor-league game against a mix of different level players, Aaron Cook worked six innings, allowing three earned runs on 78 pitches, while focusing on becoming less predictable.

“I threw a lot of breaking balls and off-speed stuff today,” Cook said. “It’s definitely a luxury to be able to work on this stuff. That’s great in a situation like this where if a guy crushes it really doesn’t matter. I’m just trying to get a feel for my pitches. At the end of the day, we’re all better for it.”

In the field: Left fielder Carlos Gonzalez, re-entering the mix for a roster spot, showed off his athleticism with an over-the-shoulder catch to rob Tony Clark in the fourth inning.

Returning from back surgery, Helton showed no problem charging on bunt plays or navigating a rundown in the third inning.
“More than anything it’s how you feel the next day because you have adrenaline out there,’’ Helton said.

Up next: The Rockies host the Royals at Hi Corbett Field. Ubaldo Jimenez, in his first performance since the WBC, starts followed by leading closer candidate Manuel Corpas, Randy Flores, Juan Morillo and Ryan Speier. The Royals will start Kyle Davies.

At this time of the morning, we like to give you, the loyal readers, a lineup to ingest over bagels and coffee. This morning, however, the clubhouse was closed for roster adjustments. We will provided the names of those players moved to minor-league camp as soon as possible. There shouldn’t be any shockers, but sometimes this cut can feature a veteran that the club deems to have no shot of making the team.

As for today’s game at Tucson Electric Park, right-hander Jhoulys Chacin will start against the Diamondbacks, with Aaron Cook starting a minor-league game at 1 p.m. at the Rockies’ complex. The Rockies want to give Chacin a longer look. He’s impressed coaches with his poise. He pitches with confidence, even when he hasn’t had his best stuff. A strong finish to camp could send Chacin to start the season in Triple-A Colorado Springs.

At the plate: Troy Tulowitzki is finding his groove. The shortstop raked a run-scoring single and a run-scoring double, raising his average to .241 and getting his first two RBIs.

Versatile Omar Quintanilla, playing for a roster spot, started at third base and produced a three-hit day that included a double, three RBIs and a walk. He’s having an excellent spring, hitting .370 while playing second, third and short.

Ryan Spilborghs got the Rockies on the board with a solo homer in the first and nearly parked another ball in the second. Scott Podesdnik, making a strong bid to be the fourth outfielder, showed off his speed with a fourth-inning triple.

On the mound: Left-handed starter Jorge De La Rosa, in dire need of a solid start and a confidence boost, pitched three solid innings. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out two. In his only battle with Manny Ramirez, he got Ramirez to ground out to second.
Reliever Juan Morillo wasn’t as sharp as he has been, but he battled for one inning, allowing a hit and a walk and striking out one.

In the field: Eric Young Jr., continuing to get extensive playing time, displayed his athleticism in the fifth, leaping to snare a high throw, then swipe out Matt Kemp who was attempting to steal second.

Glendale, Ariz. – Jorge De La Rosa, in dire need of an effective start, gets a mighty test today against the Dodgers at their copper-colored new home, Camelback Ranch, somewhere between Phoenix and the Mojave Desert.

In other Rockies news, Aaron Cook will pitch Monday, but it won’t be against the Diamondback regulars at Tucson Electric Park. Instead, Cook will get his innings in against minor leaguers. Hot prospect Jhoulys Chacin will start against the D-Backs at TEP.

Greg Smith, recovering from a nasty case of the flu, expects to throw two innings Wednesday in a minor-league game. The rest of his big-league teammates get the day off – their only break during this long spring training.

Tucson – Word came down Monday that the Rockies’ brass toured glitzy new spring training facilities in Glendale (White Sox and Dodgers) and Goodyear (Indians).

It was the latest step toward the Rockies leaving Tucson, their spring home since 1993. The Rockies could be in a new complex by 2011.

Here are my thoughts on the impending move:

* I’m in the minority, but I would like to see the Rockies stay in Tucson. I’m old fashioned enough to think that Tucson — as opposed to the megalopolis that is Phoenix — is kind of place spring training was meant to be. (Besides, there is an In-N-Out Burger and a Rubio’s just up the street from Hi Corbett Field).

* I’m also realistic enough to know that unless there are four teams in Tucson (dream on) the Rockies are long gone. The two-hour (sometimes three-hour) drive on I-10 up to metro Phoenix wears on teams. It’s a logistical hassle.

* Hi Corbett has a certain old-world charm, I think and it’s a much better place to watch a game than windy, stark Tucson Electric Park. But Hi Corbett has a lot of faults. Getting to the concession stands is a nightmare for fans. The rows and rows of uncovered aluminum bleachers cook fannies and faces.

* I’ve asked around a bit – speaking to the few fans who’ve shown up for early Rockies practices on the back fields – and there seems to be a consensus that Tucson doesn’t really care if the Rockies stay or not.

“With the economy and everything, people don’t care about keeping a team here for just six weeks a year,” a longtime spring fan told me. “No way people will spend tax money to keep the Rockies here.”

* Compared to Cactus League games up in Scottsdale, Tempe or Mesa, games at Hi Corbett are a snooze. A spring break, party atmosphere that permeates a Cubs or Giants game is lacking here. I’ve never understood why the Rockies don’t reach out to kids at the nearby University of Arizona and get them over to the ballpark for a college day or two.

* Anyway, that’s my rant for today. Expect the Rockies-Tucson divorce to be a quiet affair.

Take Two was a keeper for Luis Vizcaino. After failing to escape one inning in his Rockies’ debut, the right-handed reliever looked much better in Sunday’s game against the Mexican national team. His velocity was fine in his opener, but a faulty arm slot sabotaged his location. Read more…

Jeff Baker is having a great spring and belongs on this team, perhaps even as the starting second baseman. For such a big man, he’s surprisingly nimble around the .bag. Plus, he’s got plenty of pop in his bat. If Baker doesn’t beat out Jayson Nix for the starting job, Baker has got to be the front-runner as the Rockies’ utility man.

It seems hard to believe that the Rockies broke camp last year with Steve Finley and John Mabry on their roster instead of Ryan Spilborghs and Cory Sullivan. Spillbroughs, in particular, has become an invaluable member of the team. He’s not only a terrific fourth outfielder, he’s also extremely popular in the clubhouse. Every team needs a court jester and “Spilly” plays that role for the Rockies

In the Rockies’ Cactus League opener at Tucson Electric Park on Wednesday, Matt Holliday crushed a double off the batter’s eye in center field. In any other park, that would have been a 450-foot homer.

After the game, Brad Hawpe was squawking about the shot he hit over the 40-foot wall in center. Compared to Holliday, Hawpe doesn’t look like a slugger, but his power is off the charts. Here’s an excerpt from the Rockies’ 2008 media guide, describing a homer from Hawpe’s high school days in Texas:

“In a 1996 game against Springtown HS, Brad had a real ‘Hollywood’ moment. With the bases loaded, he blasted a grand slam that carried over the fence and smashed into the lights above right field. Sparks flew and broken glass fell on the field as Brad did his best Roy Hobbs imitation from the 1984 classic, ‘The Natural.’ He still has the ball in a case with glass shards his teammates collected from the grass.”

I knew Jeff Francis was a bright guy and I sense that he gets bored talking about baseball. So we spent some time the other day talking about his backpack trip through Europe. As it turns out, he’s even smarter than I thought. Francis majored in physics at the University of British Columbia.

Want to know how hard Troy Tulowitzki throws the ball? While playing college ball at Long Beach State, one of his throws on a double play was clocked at 94 mph.

Final thought: Not to be a homer or anything, but how could the Las Vegas odds-makers pick the Rockies to win just 83 games?

Mesa – Driving back from Phoenix to Tucson Monday night, a former Colorado player called and brought up an interesting topic: What the heck are the Rockies going to do about their logjam in their Triple-A outfield?

The easy answer is shed some bodies. That process is expected to begin today with Jeff Salazar. According to major league sources, the Rockies have attempted to trade Salazar. If unsuccessful with that route, he could be released. That makes sense since it frees up playing time for Cory Sullivan to play everyday for the Sky Sox.

The Rockies have plenty of outfielders in Colorado Springs with the likes of Seth Smith and Sullivan, who was last year’s big league opening day starter.

Salazar was briefly in the mix to compete for playing time this season before the club acquired Willy Taveras and signed free agent Steve Finley.

Hawpe remains idle
Outfielder Brad Hawpe received lengthy treatment all morning on his sprained left ankle and was unavailable for comment.

Hawpe’s absence would create more playing time for Finley, in right field today, and Jeff Baker.

Around the horn
The Cubs are the one team in Arizona that draw crazy crowds, their following legendary. What is surprising, however, HoHoKam Park’s modesty. The stadium pales to those in Peoria and Surprise. Makes me wonder if the Cubs will ever get in on all the new stadium action in the valley?

On that topic, Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf continues to act as if he will have no problem having a team fill his club’s lease when it leaves Tucson Electric Park. That team must be approved by the county as well. The two favorites remain the Baltimore Orioles and the Houston Astros. By virtue of their lease, the Rockies can leave Tucson if there aren’t two other teams in the city. Colorado declined to move over to TEP.

Footnotes
According to the Chicago Tribune, the Rockies have expressed interest in Sox knuckleballer Charlie Haeger, who failed in his bid to make Chicago’s rotation. …. Mark Prior starts today for the Cubs. He will not break camp with the Cubs, either opening on the DL or being optioned to Triple-A.

Tucson â€“ The burning question of Rockies spring training is not whether Clint Barmes or Troy Tulowitzki will win the starting shortstop job. And it has nothing to do with the Opening Day starter.
Rather, itâ€™s about the correct length of baseball pants. Read more…

Radar guns, wind and heat. Welcome to a blustery morning in Tucson at backfield at Electric Park. Nothing says good morning like White Sox closer Bobby Jenks popping the mitt at 94 miles per hour. Jenks made his first appearance since leaving the exhibition opener last week with shoulder stiffness, going opposite of Jeff Francis. Read more…

Desert Scene
Spent a month in Tucson last night. Or so the joke goes when a spring training game spins out of control. Through five innings, the Rockies and Diamondbacks combined for 20 runs, 24 hits and five errors. Read more…

Patrick, a third-generation Colorado native, is back for his second stint covering the Rockies. He first covered the team from 2005-2009, helping chronicle “Rocktober” in 2007 and also following the team’s playoff run in 2009.

Nick Groke has worked at The Denver Post since 1997, as a sports reporter, city reporter, entertainment writer and digital editor and producer, among other newsroom posts. He also writes regularly about boxing, soccer, MMA and NASCAR.